- tremes,

what not? When they went abroad they talked of thefe Things; and there were thofe in both Exwho were ready to lay hold on any Story to my Disadvantage. But this is my Comfort, that moft of those, who have been my Pupils, are my cordial and affectionate Friends: And I find all the tendereft and moft grateful Friendship from thofe now under my Care. I am more and more • confirmed in the Judgment I passed on those, who are fetting out in the Church; and am convinced • that the Part I have acted, in the Difference I have made between them, hath been approved in the Sight of Him, to whom my final Account is foon to be rendered. In the mean-time, the longer I live, the lefs I am inclined to enter into Debates, ⚫ which I have neither Time nor Heart for; and perhaps have been too indolent in tracing out injurious Reports and too dilatory in making Remonftrances for ill Ufage. I have generally chofen the fhorter Way; heartily to forgive and pray for, those, ⚫ from whom I have apprehended that I have received the most injurious Treatment; and to endeavour • to live in fuch a Manner, that they, who intimately know me, may not lightly believe Rumours to my Difadvantage. Methinks the Lovers of Mankind, and the Lovers of Chriftianity too, should pardon each other some little Mistakes in Conduct, and fhould put the gentleft, not the harshest Con• ftructions upon Things which may wear a dubious Afpect. I will endeavour to bear thefe Things, as a Burden, which Providence is pleased to lay in my Way. I will remember him, who bore, in all. ⚫ Refpects, infinitely worfe Ufage for me; and will

. com

Ch. 8. comfort myself with looking forward to that Day, ⚫ when every Calumny will be wiped-off; when Omnifcience will atteft, as it certainly will, the Integrity of my Conduct, and when thofe evil Principles, which may in fome Degree, and at fome Times, leaveņ the Minds of good Men, will be all purged away."

<

-With Regard to thofe of his Pupils, who occafioned the foregoing Reflections, I have great Reafon to believe, that further Knowledge of the World and themselves, convinced them, that they had acted wrong. I affuredly know, that some of them deeply repented of it afterwards; and particularly One, who a little before his Death, wrote his Tutor a most pathetic and friendly Letter, in which he largely confeffed his own Guilt; laid open to him many of the fly Arts, which had been used to hurt his Character, and, with all the Marks of Humility, Penitence and Affection, earnestly defired his Forgiveness and his Prayers*.

I

It may not be amifs to take Notice of an Afperfion, which was thrown on the Doctor, a little before his Death; as if he had acted unfaithfully in the Guardianship of Miss Ekins, Daughter of Thomas Ekins, Efq; of Chester on the Water, in Northamptonshire, one of his Majesty's Fuftices of the Peace and the Doctor's intimate Friend: Efpecially as I have heard, that it had spread itself as far as NewEngland, where the Falfhood of fuch a Charge could not so easily be detected. It will be a fufficient Answer to such a Calumny to say, that the young Lady, at the Doctor's Decease, was fo fenfible of his Integrity, that at her Requeft, being then eighteen Years of Age, the Lord Chancellor Hardwicke appointed the Doctor's Widow Guardian in his ftead; that on her Attainment of her Age of twenty one Years, the whole Account of her Eftate was carefully examined by her and met with her entire Approbation. This Lady is fince married to the reverend Dr. James Stonboufe, a Gentleman of a handfome paternal Eftate, formerly a Phyfician of great Eminence at Northamp

tong

he

I have been larger upon this Part of the Doctor's Character than was, perhaps, neceffary to illuftrate and vindicate it: But probably fome yet living may entertain Prejudices against him and against his Writings in Confequence thereof. I was therefore willing to fet it in its true Light; and to exhibit a noble Pattern of a chriftian Behaviour, under fuch Reproaches and Slanders, as many good and ufeful Men are yet fuffering by, and the beft, perhaps, most. I fhall only add, that he practifed the Advice which gave to others in fuch Circumstances, and did not fuffer himself to be interrupted in his generous, worthy Course by the little Attacks of Envy and Calumny, which he met with in it. He was still attentive to the general Good, and steadily refolute in his Endeavours to promote it; and he left it to Providence to guard or to rescue his Character from the bafe Affaults of Malice and Falfhood, which, he had obferved and experienced, will often, without a Perfon's Labour, confute themselves, and heap upon the Authors greater Shame, or, if they are inacceffible to that, greater Infamy, than his Humanity would allow him to wish them +."

6

SECT

ton, and now Lecturer of All-Saints, in Bristol: And it is at their united Request I add, that they are fenfible of their Obligations to the Doctor, and his Lady, for the Fidelity, Prudence and Friendship discovered by them in the Discharge of their Truft, and that they retain the highest Veneration for the Doctor's Memory. Those who were beft acquainted with the whole Affair, were fo far from thinking that his Conduct ftood in Need of any Defence, that they confidered both his undertaking the Truft, amidst his various other Cares, and the Manner in which he discharged it, especially in the Education of his Ward, as a striking Inftance of his Probity, Friendship and Benevolence.

Rife and Progress, &c. Ch. 28. § 9.

His Piety towards GOD, and his Devotion, as the Support of that, and every other Virtue.

T may truly be faid of Dr. Doddridge, as it was

IT

of Socrates, that his Life was a Life of Prayer We have already feen the Care he took to maintain a devout Spirit, and live near to GoD in early Life. He held-on this religious Courfe, and grew ftronger and stronger even to the laft. He made Confcience of presenting serious Addreffes to GOD every Morning and Evening, whatever his Bufinefs and Avocations were, and often employed fome Moments in the middle of the Day in the fame Manner. That his Devotions might be more regular, copious and advantageous, and his Mind be kept in a devout Frame thro' the Day, he laid down a Plan for this Purpofe, which I have Reason to believe he often reviewed in a Morning, as it always lay upon his Desk +; and

Max. Tyr. Difs. 30.

As this may be useful to fericus Perfons, especially Minifters, who ought to be Men of eminent Devotion and Holiness, I will here infert it, in his own concife Manner. Every Morning, rifing and dreffing, meditate -on Lord's Day, the Concerns of the Church in general· Monday, Rules for my own Conduct my Friends Wednesday, Mercies received -Thursday, the Concerns of the Congregation - Friday,

Tuesday, the Cafe of

evan

and from thence it appears what Pains he took to keep up the Life and Ardour of Religion in his Soul. He was careful that his firft Thoughts in the Morning and last in the Evening, should, in a fpecial Manner, be confecrated to God. According to his Exhortations

evangelical Views member special Hints

-Saturday, my Relations each Day rethen pray, renew my Covenant with larger Devotion, re

• GOD, read the Scriptures, fing a Pfaim verential; prepared for; Thoughts guarded in it; reflected upon afterwards.- -Bufinefs of the Day; feasonable, with good Intentions and Dispatch.- -Recreations, moderate, well defigned. -Providences, merciful; thankful for Reafon, Senfes, Health, Eafe, Food, Raiment, Sleep, Friends, Life, Liberty, Safety, Acceptance, Succefs. · Afflictive Events; GoD's Hand, Defign; fubmit in all Things, great and fmall; furrender all Comforts to -Temptations, foreseen, obferved, refifted; Prefence of

him.

Gon, Chrift, Angels and Men; remembered for Caution. * Grace, Dependance upon it, earnestly fought, to awaken holy Af⚫fections, thro' Chrift, by the Spirit, frequent Ejaculations.

• Thoughts during Intervals, a general Command practifed; Subjects ' of them, Morning-fcripture; the last, the next, Sermon.

Difcourfe, innocent, useful, provided for.Evangelical Views blefs GoD for Chrift and the Spirit; daily exercise Faith in Chrift, as Teacher, Atonement, Interceffor, Governor, Example, Strength, 'Guardian, Forerunner.- -Avoid Excels, Imprudence, Formali, ty in Prayers and Praises, especially at Meals.---Repeat as above, in the Evening, and add Self-examination. Have I atten'ded to proper Business, improved Sermons or other Writings, watch. 'ed over Pupils ?-Aik the Profperity of the Academy, Congregation, our Country; Reformation advanced; thy Kingdom -My Relations, Minifter, Tutor, Domeftic, Writer, Friend, Vifitant, Correfpondent.--Lift of Friends to be particularly prayed for. -Perfons in the Congregation, according to their Circumstances, unconverted, awakened, alienated, excommunicated, the various afflicted. Remember the Notes of laft Lord's Day. -Memorandum, there must be an Englargement of Soul pre

come.